Dear Rev. Edwin Y.Lim, Pastors and All the members at Shining Star,
Thank you for your prayer and support of our mission in Japan. Here are some progress and prayer requests. I’ve just started a new church with my wife at a city called Hirakata in Osaka. It is THIS MONDAY that we moved to the city. The city is located in the border area of the three prefectures, Kyoto, Osaka and Nara. It has an population of 400,000.
Ministry in Hirakata
l I started investigation of this area in the end of 2011 from Kyoto.
l We moved to Hirakata this Monday, April 9th.
l Since I had to divide my role into pieces and delegate them to the members, it took some time. For the while, I came to Hirakata almost everyday from Kyoto and began ministry under the surface.
l There are not so many major universities like Tokyo University or Kyoto University here. But still 400,000 people are living. Please pray for us to penetrate into the community soon to win new souls. It takes 1 or 2 hours to visit major universities in Osaka, Kyoto or Nara. But I believe He enlarged the territory of my mission. I keep going to Kyoto University and begin to go to Osaka University and more. Please keep praying for our campus ministry as well.
Ministry in Kyoto
l Thanks to your prayer, our members grew steadily. Now two members (Norihiro Kamae, Keita Abe) went on to the doctor course of Kyoto University and began to win new souls to Christ. They have their own cell members and some of them are ready to receive baptism, just waiting for the ceremony. For me, it’s vital for a new leader to guide new souls to baptism. I’m not sure of the affairs abroad but it’s not automatic for one who has seemingly received Jesus to receive baptism in Japan. They need more conviction. For the conviction, they need more love. Some of the members began to show the godly love for the convictions secretly in private behind the scenes.
l As you know, Kyoto has a lot of college students since there are some good universities. But there are not so many workplaces in Kyoto. It was our issue years ago that when they graduate their colleges, they leave church as well. In many cases, they don’t go to church any more. But things has begun to change. One member is coming to church from Fukui, 200 km away. One member wanted to be with our church and tried to be a middle school teacher. But she failed the test. She went to the graduate school and tried the test again and now she is teacher of the middle school since this April. This April another sister who studied Japanese Painting in Kyoto and received Jesus last December began to work in Gifu, her hometown, 150 km away. Still she decided to come to church in Kyoto. We didn’t push them or didn’t even instruct them to do so. They decided that by themselves. I can see that they do so because the love of the church body deepened.
l There are a lot of hindrances for new souls. We need special prayer and care. I’d like you to pray for the members preparing for baptism.
Ø Eiji Inaoka (Kyoto University, Philosophy, Doctor Course)
Ø Iwao Kurosawa (Kyoto University, Agriculture, 3rd)
Ø Kan Setsu (Kyoto University, Disaster Prevention, Master Course / Chinese)
Ø Enshun Chou (Kyoto University, Bioscience, Master Course / Chinese)
Ø Asuka Hirata (Seika University, 3d)
Ø Yoshihiro Fujimori (Business Consultant)
Ø Yuki Taki (Graduate of Kyoto University, passed the bar exam last November and is preparing to be a lawer through internship program)
Since October last year, 7 people received Jesus through Bible study. The seven were brought to church by Japanese members. Last week one received Jesus and this week another received Jesus on Thursday. Current members are growing and new souls are ready to receive baptism. We have spiritual reproduction or spiritual ecosystem. That’s why I can leave Kyoto.
Although there are always spiritual warfare in the ministry, I can be energetic physically and spiritually. Thank you for your love and prayer. Now leaving Kyoto, I am prepared to begin NEW mission. Please pray for the NEW challenge for me and my wife.
Sincerely in Christ,
Manabu Kobayashi
Yohan Hirakata Christ Church
